Environmental chutzpah

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has a reputation as a tree hugger, but few people expected him to take a strong stand in favor of the environment. To the surprise of everybody, he did just that — except his target was the Chinese government.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s speech on the global economy yesterday drew notice for its breadth as well as the explicit concern Mr. Paulson expressed about China’s energy consumption and its environmental record.

“China’s severe environmental hazards not only are harming the health of its people and ecosystems, they are also harming China’s long-term economic potential,” he said, a week before heading to China. “Economic development without regard for environmental protection is not sustainable.”